On Wednesday, the Washington Wizards selected Deni Advija with the ninth pick in the 2020 NBA draft. The choice was hailed by experts and writers alike. Many of whom projected that the Israeli League MVP would not be available for Washington after drawing serious consideration from Chicago and Cleveland with the fourth and fifth selections. General Manager Tommy Sheppard apparently jolted across the room like an Olympic sprinter after the selection. It appears Sheppard honed in on adding Advija to the Wizards roster from the jump.
Scott Brooks said Tommy Sheppard was so excited to get Avdija that he thought Tommy would run a 100 meter time like Carl Lewis.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) November 19, 2020
Then Brooks felt compelled to explain who Carl Lewis is for the young reporters, and simultaneously made me feel like I’m 100.
Wizards fans have a lot to look forward to with Sheppard’s prized rookie. Belly Up reached out to Geoffery Gray, a second-year pro for Elitzur Kiryat Ata of the Israel-National League for what to expect from the lottery pick. Gray trains with Avdija during the off-season.
“I really think the Wizards got the steal of the draft getting Deni at #9. With his size and versatility he is perfect for today’s NBA game as he can play both play and guard multiple positions. He has great mechanics on his jump shot and with his impressive work ethic he will only get better in the years to come.”
via Instagram Direct Messager
Gray predicts Advija will be a matchup nightmare for defenses. Like Hedo Turkoglu was during his prime in Orlando. He will slide nicely into a starting lineup with Bradley Beal, John Wall, and Rui Hachimura. Thomas Bryant figures to man the middle for Washington. However, it may be in Sheppard’s best interest to pursue a defensive anchor for the Wizards roster to replace Bryant atop the depth chart.
Pivoting to Free Agency
Last season, Washington had the second worst defense in the league and finished dead last among 30 teams in rebounding rate. If they are serious about making the playoffs those numbers must improve to at least league-average output. It may be unfair to only point fingers at Bryant for these weaknesses. However, at the end of the day, basketball comes down to who’s winning the battle inside the paint. And in the modern NBA, a lockdown wing has become as essential to establishing an elite defensive unit.
Advija projects to be capable of contributing on offense from day one. But his defense may require patience. It takes young players time to learn the nuances of solid NBA defense. A 19 year old rookie must add muscle as well. Until Advija develops his body and IQ, some immediate help on the wing should also be a priority.
Adapting to the NBA Elite
Look at the most recent finals. The champion Los Angeles Lakers featured Anthony Davis and Lebron James. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat were led by Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler. Which center and small-forward combination on the Wizards roster would present a worthy match-up against those duos? Head Coach Scott Brooks is better off praying Isaac Bonga reports to training camp wearing magical sneakers like Lil Bow Wow in Like Mike.
Sheppard maintains that re-signing Davis Bertans is the franchise’s primary concern. The following options are other worthwhile additions.
Players to Target for Wizards Roster
Conversations about salary cap jargon are painfully dry. Save it for a boring podcast. There are plenty. Let’s save ourselves the trouble. This will be made simple.
Washington has a mid-level exception (about $10 million) and a bi-annual exception (about $4 million) at their disposal. In the mid-level range, those equate to about a third or fourth starter. The bi-annual exception equates to a bench player. This means that elite level role players on the market like Jae Crowder or Jerami Grant are outside the Wizards price range. The following names aren’t sexy, but defensive-minded talents within Sheppard’s budget.
Wings
Torrey Craig – broke onto the scene in the most recent Western Conference Finals. Did as good a job on LeBron as reasonably expected. His jumper is shaky, but he made a killing off baseline cuts while playing with Jokic. This should translate well to playing with Wall.
Justin Holiday – brother of Jrue and a former champion with Golden State. He’s deceptively old (31) but still rangy and athletic. Shot 40 percent from three last season with Indiana.
Bigs
Aron Baynes – after an early-season surge in Phoenix led many to wonder if Baynes was a better starting option than DeAndre Ayton, the Aussie big man fell back down to Earth. A stretch five and bruiser on the glass. Willing to put his ancestry on the line to contest dunk attempts.
Nerlens Noel – a former lottery pick who spent last season with Oklahoma City. Noel protects the rim on defense and poses as a lob threat in pick-and-rolls. Shot 69 percent from the field in 2019-2020.
Players to Avoid Adding to Wizards Roster
If Washington is keen on acquiring any of the following names, they’re more likely to be aired on Shaqtin’ a Fool than a TNT playoff broadcast. Although, it would be on-brand given that the Wizards roster once featured the meme-team-before-memes: JaVale McGee, Nick Young, and Andray Blatche.
Wings
Josh Jackson – it’s rare that a top-five pick falls out of favor as quickly with their team as Jackson did with Phoenix. Jackson was revitalized last season with Memphis, but is still wild on and off-the court. In 2018, he was accused by a court of smoking weed with his toddler.
Andre Roberson – an off-ball cutting menace and all-defensive honoree. Roberson missed over two years after a leg injury in 2018 before returning to play in the bubble. It remains to be seen if Roberson will ever be the player he once was. This sounds an awful lot like Wall. That may be too many gambles for one roster. But hopefully, he bounces back.
Bigs
Hassan Whiteside – his counting stats are impressive, but analytics reveal those numbers are empty calories. Whiteside’s effort has been oft-criticized by his former teams, broadcasters, and experts.
Bobby Portis / Jeff Green – two reserve bigs who underwhelmed during their stints with Washington. Both players doubtfully improve the defense.
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